Acrophobia the Jack Star
by parisindy
Summary: Military Fic / Pre-Series 2016 version - Mac can compartmentalize like no one Jack has ever met, but even his young EOD has his limits. Jack discovers Mac's fear of heights, the hard way.
1. Chapter 1

**Acrophobia + the Jack Star**

 **Summary:** Military Fic / Pre-Series - Mac can compartmentalize like no one Jack has ever met, but even his young EOD has his limits. Jack discovers Mac's fear of heights, the hard way.

 **Authors note** : I used to write quite a lot of prose and fanfiction, but it's been a while so my fanfic writing is seriously rusty. I admire so many of the writers here I would truly appreciate some of your feedback. If you have any constructive advice or helpful hints I would truly love to hear them. Thank you for your time.

\- Paris

thank you to ElJay, akaJipster and Nureek for their help on this fic...All mistakes are my own

DISCLAIMER: No money was received or exchanged. I do not own MacGyver or any of its Characters.  
This is purely for fun.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

MacGyver tried not to flinch as small rocks and dirt rained down on his head.

'Angus! Man, You okay?'

MacGyver didn't say anything; he wasn't sure he could. His partner's voice echoed off the ravine's walls, sounding far away. A quick nearly overwhelming relief made his knees weak for a moment, Jack was okay. He repeated it over in his head a few times before he allowed himself to believe it, Jack was okay, Jack was okay. His brain tried to be logical, of course, Jack was okay. But apparently logic wasn't his strong suit at the moment.

He moved his hand slightly but as more pebbles trickled by his hands, his heart rate picked up and it was harder to catch his breath. His ears were ringing, there had been an explosion. He should be used to those, if only he had worked faster…. He pushed that thought from his mind, for now, right now he had to focus on not moving. He felt something drip from his right ear. It was an irritating tickle but there was no way he was moving his hands to scratch at it. He may never move his hands again. Nope, they were alright, right where they were.

He didn't believe in luck, or fate or anything such thing, but it was times like this that made him think just maybe Jack was right, not that he would ever say that out loud, but maybe the universe did have a sense of humor. He did just get blown over the side of a cliff after all, much like Wile E. Coyote, but there wasn't anything funny about this at all. Mac tried to take a deeper breath, but it came out as a choking gasp.

It was hard to hear out of his one ear, being to close to the blast was the likely cause. His eyes burned with sand, his hands ached and his right knee shook, but none of that mattered, not moving was the only thing that mattered.

Pebbles rained down on him from above again. 'Mac?'

'No,' it was a hoarse whisper at best, talking loudly meant his chest cavity moved more than it should. Even deep breaths were risky.

Even though the voice sounded tinny and far away, 'Oh thank god, but dammit now I got to say it! Soooo, how's it hanging?'

'Go away.'

'Go away? Dude, I know you are smart and all, but unless you can fly I don't think you are climbing up on your own.'

'Not moving.' He whispered.

Jack must have sensed the irrationality of his usually extremely rational EOD tech because his voice changed, and became calmer and even. 'It's okay man, deep breaths. we'll sort this out.'

Mac didn't waste his shallow breaths with a reply.

* * *

 **earlier that day...**

They had been together in the Sandbox for nearly 181 days and had fallen into a bit of a rhythm. They had gotten used to each other's quirks and ticks, and Jack had disclosed nearly every story he could think to tell of his life back in Texas. Jack had done his best to get to know his little bomb nerd too, even though the kid was extraordinarily tight-lipped. But he knew enough to know, tonight the kids head would be in the stars.

It was late, or early, depending on how you wanted to look at it. Jack and Mac had been sent out to relieve another EOD and his Overwatch who had been out in the field for nearly twenty-four hours. They would drive their Humvee to within 3 clicks of the rendezvous point and hike in from there. Jack and MacGyver had both memorized the terrain map. It would be a fairly easy walk, flat not a lot of hills, the problem was that also left them pretty exposed. But that's also why they were headed out at 1 am. Hopefully, the bad guys were all tucked into their beds and didn't have the same night vision goggles they did.

Jack parked their vehicle and finished covering it was a tarp. Mac was already looking up at the night sky. There was almost no light pollution out here. As much as MacGyver missed Los Angeles the anthropogenic light made it nearly impossible to see the stars at night. Mac spotted the yellowish-white star 'Canopus' right away, it was just a star, yet it was weirdly comforting, and he would often seek it out. It was the second brightest star next to Sirius, he liked to think of it as the 'Jack star' because he could almost always spot it fairly close to Sirius… they were like war-buddy stars, as Canopus usually couldn't be seen in the states easily.

Jack locked the Humvee and came to stand beside Mac and let out a low whistle. 'It certainly is something isn't it?'

Mac just hummed in reply but after a moment. 'The Geminid Meteor shower should be starting in about a week.'

'I remember back on the ranch seeing them this bright, but it's been a long time.' They both stood there for a minute or two, just enjoying the sight. It wasn't often the two soldiers got to enjoy a moment of calm like this. Jack could almost taste the memories of his childhood, lying in the cool grass, as his horse snacked nearby. Fireflies landing on his toes after he had kicked off his boots. God, had he ever been that young, starring off into the great expanse, wondering what his future would hold? Jack smiled to himself, he probably spent more time thinking about girls then he had about his future.

Jack turned slightly and studied his starry-eyed companion. Mac wasn't that much older than he had been lying back in that field back in Texas. And for just a moment partner looked like the kid he was, staring up at the milky way. It caused Jack stomach to clinch a little, and it was, in a way, why Jack had been motivated to sign up for a second tour. Back on the ranch, Jack was famous for taking in the strays and the injured. He had nursed more than one bird with a broken wing back to health. If something needed his help he just couldn't leave it alone.

When they had first been paired up, Mac seemed like any other EOD specialist. A little bit of an arrogant know it all, who didn't know the first thing about actual combat. He was more than happy to show the kid his place when he found him messing with his gear. As time passed, Jack started to see past the technobabble and started to see the kid inside. No matter how hard Mac tried to stuff his emotions down, Jack started to see the bird with the broken wing and there was no way he could leave him alone, especially not out here. Mac needed a big brother, whether he was aware of it or not, and as MacGyver was MacGyver, he probably wasn't.

Jack would have liked to have allowed his young companion all the time he wanted to stare up at the stars, but sadly they were still on the clock. Jack gripped his friend's shoulder bringing his attention back down to terra firma. 'We better get hoofing it.'

Jack had his hand on his weapon and night vision goggles on, while Mac has no weapon and his goggles stayed pushed back on his helmet. MacGyver adjusted his pack as they walked, but his eyes kept drifting upwards.

Jack leaned over and bumped him, 'Pay attention, Carl's Junior, and put your goggles on.' Jack learned early on that annoying the kid, was the best way to keep him focused.

Mac Huffed and lowered his night vision. 'That name better not stick.'

Jack laughed. 'Alright, Angus.'

MacGyver's face screwed up like he had swallowed a lemon. 'You could try calling me Mac like I told you to.'

'Well, now where's the fun in that? Besides everyone has a call sign or nickname out here. 'Jack when on to justify himself. 'Look at the two we are relieving, Dubois and Anderson.'

'Scooby and Neo.' Mac replied. 'It does sound weird when you say their real names, but still, there has to be something better than Carl's Junior.'

'Would you prefer Wendy's?'

Mac punched him in the arm and Jack grinned.

They walked for a while, talking quietly about anything and nothing until they started to get close to their meetup. Jack crouched down and Mac lay on his belly using his night vision like binoculars.

'Got eyes on?'

Mac shook his head. 'Negative, but they should be at that ridge up there.'

Jack let his M4 drop in the straps attached to his chest as he pulled out his sniper rifle and looked through the scope. 'Get them on the radio.'

Mac clicked on his walkie. 'Bravo, this is Gamma two, how copy?

There was a moment of dead air before the reply came through with a low hiss. 'Hey, Carl's Junior! Good copy, you here to give us a break?'

Mac glared at Jack who let out a low barked laugh. 'What? I didn't say it.'

Mac let out an annoyed sigh before talking into his walkie again. 'Yeah, Scooby, what's your sitrep?'

The radio hissed again. 'About half a click south of our original coordinates. Close to the ravine's edge. We'll be glad to see you.'

'Good copy, we'll be coming up your six, be there in five, don't turn us into Swiss cheese.'

In no time at all Mac and Jack had arrived at the other two men's camp. Well, Jack would have used the term camp very loosely. It was more just a pile of climbing gear and some rucksacks. Jack had always liked Scooby, he was easy going with a fairly think Bronx accent. Neo seemed like a decent guy too, though Jack didn't know him as well. He was a family guy, with a whole brood if ankle bitters, at least five last he had heard. The men shook hands as Mac and Jack arrived, grateful for the relief. Neo did look exhausted, as he chatted with Mac for a minute, getting him up to speed on where he left off.

Jack turned to his friend Scooby for his own Sitrep. 'How's it going Scoobs?'

'Good, good, happy to head back to the TOC, and possibly eat some real grub and sack out for a while.'

Jack smiled, 'I can imagine.'

The heat never lets up in Afghanistan, not even in the middle of the night. Even though it was cooler then the day, it was still uncomfortably warm. Scooby took off his helmet running his hand through his hair which was damp from sweat 'It's been pretty quiet tonight, but you will still need to keep a lookout, Dalton. Around noon one of the locals was having fun taking pot shots at us from across the ravine. Not sure if he just got bored or what, but haven't heard from him all night. Still, keep an eye out.

'Check; anything else?' Jack questioned

'Anderson got about halfway through the mind field, they are tricky buggers and it's taking a while. Oh, and wait!" Scooby started patting down his pockets before he found what he was looking for and pulled out a worn piece of paper with check marks on it. 'this is the map TOC gave us of approximate mine locations, we checked off the ones we disarmed.'

'Good stuff.' Jack took the paper then grasped the other man's shoulder in a friendly manner. 'Mac and I got it from here, you guys are done in, head back and we'll have beers when it's all done.'

'Now that's a plan I can go with.' Scooby turned towards his EOD and grabbed some gear. 'Let's go Neo! There's a bunk with my name on it.'

Mac and Jack watched the other two soldiers head off for a moment before getting themselves situated. Jack eyed the climbing gear. 'What's with all the ropes?'

'Neo said they were using them as safety lines. Some of the mines are pretty close to the cliff's edge.'

'Why the hell would anyone plant mines along the edge of a cliff?'

'There are lithium mines below us. I think the Taliban were just trying to protect them. The problem is there is a town not far from here and a lot of the locals use this area for grazing livestock. A couple of kids stumbled on to the minefield last week. It didn't end well.'

Jack grimaced, 'Yeah well the Tali's suck.'

Mac nodded in agreement. 'Let's get to work.'

Time passed slowly but the night sky was finally starting to show a sliver of light. Jack rubbed his eyes which were sore from using the night vision goggles for so long. There wasn't much he could do other than keep an eye out for bad guys, and check off the mines on the list as Mac disarmed them. Mac just finishing one and stopped to get a drink of water. He was still attached to some climbing gear anchoring him to the stones near the cliff. He was covered in dust from laying on the ground as he disarmed the mines. The more MacGyver sweated the more the dust stuck to him.

'So what number was that?'

Mac took another gulp of water from his canteen, 'Um, eleven.'

'Okay good,' Jack checked off the list. 'So only two more then.'

Mac's brow creased. 'No three more.'

Jack counted the mines on his paper again, 'Nope, Scoob's map says thirteen.'

Mac frowned, 'You had the papers from TOC, I didn't get a good look at them, but I swear there were fourteen.'

'Well, shit.' Jack started searching his pockets for the paperwork. 'I just went by Scooby's because he had started marking them off.' Jack started to dump everything out of his vest pockets, then paused. 'Oh, crap.'

Mac looked at him. 'What?'

'I remember throwing them on the dash of the Humvee, I bet it's still there.'

'Jack that's 3 miles away!'

'Yeah, yeah I know.' Jack looked sheepish. 'I'm sorry bud, it's my fault for leaving them, but if you think there is a discrepancy we gotta be sure. '

Mac sighed and rubbed his face, smearing some of the dirt. 'Look, why don't you just go. We haven't seen anyone all night. I am lying down in a minefield, in the dark, even if someone came around I highly doubt they'll see me. You'll be back before its properly light.'

'Uh-uh, no way. I'm sorry brother but Scooby said there was a snipper milling about yesterday. I'm your overwatch. There is no way I am leaving you, get the climbing gear off and come with me. '

'You're not leaving me; you'll be back in half an hour; you have to be bored sitting here anyway.'

Jack was shaking his head but MacGyver didn't let him get a word in. 'Jack I'll be fine. What I am not fine with is having a bomb somewhere in this field that we don't know about. By the time you get back, I will have one more mine disarmed.'

Jack scowled. 'You're going to be a pain in my ass about this aren't you?'

'I can't say I have ever paid any attention to your ass before, so if you have any pain you should report it to one of the doctors when we get back.' Mac deadpanned then laughed.

Jack didn't find it as funny as his EOD did. 'If you're dead when I get back, I'm finding an exorcist so I can kill you myself.'

'I don't think that's how it works….'

'I don't care!' Jack shouted over his shoulder as he started walking away towards their parking spot.

Mac waved him off, took another swallow of his canteen and got back to work.

Jack hustled back to the Humvee at a jog and started swearing at himself when he did see that the papers were indeed sitting on the dash. 'Stupid, stupid.' He berated himself. It wasn't like him to be so forgetful. It wasn't an excuse, but a possible explanation could be all the weird hours he and Carl's Junior had been pulling the last few weeks. They were both running on fumes, and that was probably the main reason the kid hadn't wanted to hike back with him. Not that he would have ever admitted it.

Jack grabbed the papers, gave them a quick go over and sure enough, MacGyver was right, as always. Jack rolled his eyes and groaned, it would be a long while before his partner would let him live this one down. The kid barely trusted him as it was, and now he screwed up, it put him in a bit of a mood.

He recovered the vehicle with the tarp and started his hike back.

He was probably halfway back to the minefield when he heard it. The crackle pop, rice crispy sound of distant gunfire and it was coming from Mac's direction. Jack started to run full tilt, seemed like the sniper was back, and he had left Mac in that damned field by himself.

Then a sound that made Jack's heart seize in his chest, there was another couple of pops followed by a very large boom.

 **To be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Jack might be slightly older than his young EOD and he was still in shape, but the panic fueled run had caused his legs to burn and his lungs to feel like acid. In fact, by the time he got close to the minefield, or what was left of it, Jack's heart, lungs and legs were at war with each other. His heaving lungs and fluttering heart had way more to do with his fear for the kid, than it did with the mad dash across the desert.

'Angus!' he shouted as he got close to their camp and crouched down. He wanted to find his friend… who was not dead. Nope defiantly not dead, because he wouldn't allow it. But he also didn't want to be a target for their friendly neighborhood sniper. 'Angus!' he called again, but there was no reply.

Dropping to his belly he crawled towards the mines he knew were already disarmed. Jack could see part of the ravine's cliff had given away. It looked like while the sniper was taking pot shots at his EOD he had hit one of the land mines, hence the big boom.

While Jack studied the landscape, he heard a few small rocks falling. He looked towards the edge and sure enough, there was a rope going over the edge. Remembering his friend's climbing gear, he crawled towards the edge as fast as he could. He only slowed slightly when his elbows caused the dry loose dirt at the edge to give away. Peering over the edge, scared at what he might see, he let out a deep breath when he saw a patch of blonde hair.

''Oh thank god!' Jack rested his forehead on his arm just for a moment as some of the adrenaline left his system. After a second, he took a deep breath and focused; the kid still might be hurt and he was going to have to haul him up the cliff somehow.

Angus was clinging to a small ledge about 20 feet down, his face was pressed against the rock, the climbing gear had totally saved his life. Jack could see the kid was peppered with blood spots, he had probably been closer to the exploding mine than either of them would have cared for.

Then Jack paused for a moment, trying to understand what he was seeing: the kid's hands were shaking. Bomb techs where like surgeons, their hands were always steady as rocks no matter how unnerved they were. Jack strained a little farther than was probably safe, looking over the cliff.

'Angus, look at me!'

'Jack, I don't want to move, I can't…'

'Specialist look at me now!' It wasn't often Jack pulled out the 'I'm the boss' voice, and it was startling enough to cause Mac to shift slightly and meet his eyes.

The light was poor and Mac was some ways down the cliff but there was no denying what Jack saw. MacGyver was panicking, and it was something he had never seen his partner do. Jack and Mac had been a team for a while now, but no matter how much he had pried and pushed he could only get minimal information from the kid about his family, his feelings, his life plan. The kid had emotions alright, but he kept a very tight leash on them. So no matter how tight-lipped his friend was, Jack learned early on to watch Angus' eyes, and right now they were screaming.

'Deep breaths brother, I'll get you out of this.'

'No,' it was a hoarse whisper at best. Mac tried to take a deeper breath, but it came out as a choking gasp.

'Mac, it's going to be okay, you trust me, right?' Silence except for the sound of his friends gasping breaths.

When Mac didn't respond Jack felt he had to try, and change the kid's focus, break him out of the thoughts that Jack could almost see swirling around Mac's head. So, Jack went with his 'annoy Mac mode.' Whenever the kid went silent or had become so overly focused it was unhealthy, Jack would purposely say something stupid or annoying. It caused something in Mac's brain to twitch. And like a moth to the flame, it bugged the kid so much that he couldn't just leave it alone. It was actually fun to watch, most of the time. It was like it actually pained the kid not explain a scientific inaccuracy or anything else along that nature. But right now he just needed the kid's attention on something other than his situation.

'Oh man, I was so worried, but dammit now I got to say it! Soooo, Carl's Junior, how's it hanging?'

Sure, it was a lame joke but he was trying to make the kid feel more normal.

'Go away.' Mac gasped

He got actual words that time so Jack took it as a win, 'Go away? Dude, I know you are smart and all, but unless you can fly I don't think you are climbing up on your own.'

'Not moving.' Mac whispered.

Jack sensed the irrationality of his usually extremely rational EOD tech; the usual tactics weren't going to work here. He took a deep breath and started to treat his friend like one of the spooked colts back on the family ranch in Texas. 'It's okay man, I've got a plan.'

Mac still wasn't wasting his shallow breaths with a reply.

Jack let his eyes scan around for a moment, sussing out their options. 'You got climbing gear on, so you won't fall. I'll just pull you up, I'll just find something to brace…..'

That's when Jack got the biggest response from his friend yet.

'No! Please, no! Jack! It's loose! Don't touch anything. The rope will slip!' The kid's breaths came in short staccato clips, as his panic seemed to get worse. Which was just the opposite of what Jack was trying to achieve.

'Dude, okay chill just a little, brother. Come on, when have I ever let you down?'

'Don't touch anything' Mac gasped again, leaning his face back tightly against the rocky cliff. 'I'm not moving, ever.'

Jack glanced around quickly looking for the climbing ropes anchor point. And sure enough, the damned kid was right again. When the explosion went off a large piece of the ledge must have been blown away, sending Mac flying and knocking his rope anchor lose. The anchor was still in the dirt but it was right on the edge now, which was loose and crumbling.

Just as Jack was sorting out his next steps, the loud pops from the sniper's rifle returned peppering the ground near where Jack crouched. Swearing, he rolled to the side, but things didn't get better as the sniper changed his focus to Mac, who was a sitting duck.

'Shit, hold on kid, I just got to take care of this asshole, then we will be getting you up. Hold on and don't move'

A couple more shots echoed through the canon, this time Mac grunted and suddenly slipped a few feet.

'Jack!' he screamed trying to grab on to anything he could, the dirt kept crumbling in his hands and now all his weight was hanging off the rope.

The anchor point started to shift.

Jack grabbed the rope and dug in his heels.

'Kid? You get hit?' Jack called

'Oh god, don't look down….'

'Mac! Focus did you get shot!'

'Ummm, n-not sure, maybe, the back of the leg, stings. My legs are kind of numb... Jack?'

Jack looked around spying a rock, he had to keep the kid talking while he fixed the situation. 'Yeah, buddy?

'I don't like heights.'

Jack knew this was hardly the situation but he couldn't help it and burst out laughing. 'No shit, Sherlock.'

Still smiling Jack came up with a plan of sorts. Kicking back with his feet he pulled on the rope and dragged up slightly.

Bullets flashed around his feet again causing him to swear as he reached a nearby group of rocks. Sweating from the heat and exertion. Jack wrapped the rope around the largest bolder. A small cracking sound near his hand nearly caused him loose grip on the rope before he secured it though. One of the sniper's bullets hit the rock and sent rock shards flying, a few sliced through the back of his hand.

'Hold on!' he shouted towards the cliff, so his friend didn't feel like he had been forgotten.

The rocks Jack had taken refuge behind were not large. In fact, he could see them shifting slightly from Mac's weight. It also wasn't much for protection, but beggars can't be choosers and he needed to take care of that damned sniper before he could get the kid up and call for help. If anything, the rock just bought him some time he desperately needed.

Keeping low with one hand on the rope, he was in full Delta mode now as he flipped his own rifle from behind his back. Setting up the tripod and focusing the scope all with one hand, he searched the other side for the thorn in his side. It took a moment, but he steadied his breathing and focused, and there he was, lying in a patch of tall grass.

Jack didn't relish taking a life, but sometimes he understood the necessity of it. He tucked his chin against the stock and squeezed the trigger letting out one very precise shot. The sniper's body jumped slightly then quit moving. Jack waited for a heartbeat then fired again, one for safety. And as the sound of his rifle faded away there was silence. Jack had done his job, and nothing more.

Shaking himself out of the focus required for the shot, it was only then he realized, how much both his hands hurt and how much strain was on the arm holding the rope. 'Crap!' he needed to get the kid up fast before his muscles started to give way.

He saw the rock shift a bit more and gauged he had a minute before it gave way completely.

Quickly he reached over and clicked on his walkie. 'TOC this is this is Gamma one, how copy?'

'Go for TOC, what's your Sitrep Gamma one?'

'We're in a bit of jam at our assigned location, sir. I am going to need a helo with a medic, and a couple of strong guys.'

'Details, Master Sargent!'

'Yes, sir; we had a sniper across the ravine hit one of the mines. Caused my EOD to go off the edge. The sniper has been taken care of, but the kid's hurt and hanging on a string. I'm going to try and haul him up, but I am not sure I can. We could really use your help.'

'Oscar Mike Gamma one, we will have transport there in about 15 mikes. Can you hold on?'

'No choice sir, but the sooner the better.'

'Copy that.'

Jack dropped the radio so he could shift his pweight and hold on to the rope with two hands He was going to have a bad case of rope burn by the end of this, he could feel the blisters already, but he didn't have time to pull on his gloves.

'Mac!' he shouted. He wished he could see the kids face. It was impossible to gauge how he was doing while holding on to the damned rope.

After a moment when the EOD didn't reply he called again. 'Mac, dammit you answer me!'

A quiet voice floated up over the Cliffside. 'Deep breaths make the rope move.'

Mac just turned nineteen, despite the fact that he looked twelve. Mac's brain and demeanor made it easy to forget his age. Right now he sounded as young as he looked. Jack's heart ached for his friend. Back on the ranch he took in every stray he could get away with, and now that he was half a planet away from Texas he was still doing the same thing. This kid needed him and he wasn't going to let him down. He had dropped the ball with his ex's kid a few years back and he swore he wasn't going to let that happen here and now.

'I know you are in a rough spot bud, but I got the rope. I won't let you fall. I know you don't trust easy but you trust me, right?'

The was a pause again, Jack was sure the kid was giving that one a good hard think.

'Y-yeah. I trust you, Jack. Are you going to leave to get help?'

There was a lot of undercurrent to that question, and it had a lot more to do with the bigger picture then it did their current situation. 'No way kid, I ain't leaving ya. You're stuck with me.'

'You sure?'

'Hell yeah, I'm sure. We're brothers now. I would never leave anyone behind, especially not family. You hear me?'

'Yeah.' There was a pause before Angus continued. 'Being scared of heights is irrational.'

'We all got our thing, Mac. It's just a part of life, it's alright. No one is going to think badly of ya, especially not me. You just need to think of something else until the chopper comes.'

'There's a helicopter?'

Shit, Jack forgot to tell him. 'Yup, should be here shortly. We just got to hang out till it gets here.'

'Haha. You know helicopters crash thirty-five percent more often than your average aircraft. So, I am not sure if that's an improvement or not.' Even over a cliff, Jack smiled at his friends sarcastic know it all tone. Then surprising Jack, Mac voiced a bit of his fear. 'My legs are numb from this harness. I can't climb up. What if you can't hold on?'

There was no way in hell he was going to tell his friend just how much his hands burned or how much his legs ached. 'Mac, I told you, I am not leaving you. I won't let you fall. You just need a distraction. Okay so talk to me… what's the square root of three hundred and thirty-three.'

'W-what? Now is not the time to….'

'Come on man, that's an easy one...erm, I think.'

'Eighteen, point two, four, eight, two, eight.'

'That's my boy.'

The wind picked up a little bit causing Mac to sway and the rope to vibrate.

'Jack!'

'It's okay one second … one second.' Jack adjusted his grip slightly. 'Okay, what's your favorite geek formula?'

There was a slight pause as mac thought it over. 'L-Lagrange's standard model, it describes all elementary particles and forces, except gravity. W-which is okay because gravity kind of sucks right now.'

Jack smiled, and everyone thought he was the jokester. 'Funny!'

There was a quiet thump, thump in the distance and Jack craned his neck searching the sky. Sure enough, he could see they Calvary coming.

'Mac! I can see the Helo!'

Jack turned, craning to watch the helicopter, as he did he put extra weight on his right foot which caused the rock he had his foot braced on to crack. Jack's whole body was jerked forward, but he refused to let go. Jack was being slowly dragged towards the edge of the cliff.

Mac, let out a frightened shout. 'Jack!'

As Jack was pulled forward he tried to scramble for some purchase, but there was just nothing, crumbling rocks, and dirt and…Oh crap! Mac never did finish disarming all those bombs.

Mac and Jack both screamed.

To be continued….


	3. Chapter 3

Just a quick and super humble note

You have all been so incredibly kind to me. Thank you for all your notes, encouragement and advice. Thanks for all the comments and kudos. You guys really do rock.

Thank you so much

Paris

 **Chapter Three**

Mac felt like his heart was in his throat. 'Jack!'

Then the rope Jerked again and he was falling. It wasn't fast, that meant Jack's weight was still counterbalancing him. But it also meant Jack would be sliding towards the cliff and the two bombs that were left!

'No! Jack let go! Jack!'

MacGyver flailed trying to grab anything to stop his downwards motion. But he wasn't kidding earlier, he couldn't feel his legs from the harness strap, they were useless. Mac's hands scrambled to grab weeds, rocks anything. His hands bled from his attempts.

Then just as sudden as his fall, he was jerked violently to a stop, the rope swung slamming him roughly against the side of the cliff. He gasped. He couldn't catch his breath anymore. Something must have broken this time; the air was just too thick and he could feel his throat closing up. His face was pressed against the cliff face, it felt cool, spots were floating before his eyes as he his breath became shallower and made his lungs squeak with effort.

He simply couldn't think or rationalize anymore, it was all too much. And while his body was still secure to the side of the cliff, his consciousness fell silently away.

When Mac woke next there was a lot of noise and a lot of light.

Someone was right next to him, and his voice wasn't Jack's. He knew he wasn't thinking clearly and he needed to ground himself, the world was spinning. He flung his arm to grab on to something, anything. The shouting got louder for a moment and then something tight cinched across his arms and chest. No! he was going to fall! He needed to be able to hold on, or Jack was going to get blown up!

His eyes shot open and he let out a gasping wheeze. 'Jack!'

There were some more shouts and then Jack was by his side. 'Easy brother, you're on solid ground.'

Mac's eyes searched for his Overwatch blearily, finding him, he noticed white bandages wrapping his hands. Nothing was making sense. 'The bombs, did you get blown up? You hate getting blown up.'

Jack gave him a soft smile. 'No buddy, it's all good just a little rope burn, now just relax. They are going to take us on a nice safe helicopter back to base.'

Mac struggled against the straps holding him to a stretcher. 'But the mines…not done. How'd I get up here? The helicopters… not safe.' Mac slurred before slumping back with exhaustion, and possibly with whatever was in the IV that just got inserted into the back of his hand.

The medics pulled Jack back a bit so they could load MacGyver on to the helicopter.

Mac squirmed so his eyes stayed on his friend the whole time until they were both situated and flying back towards the base. Mac still feeling very dizzy, floaty and unhappy. He hated not understanding something, and right now he felt very much like he was missing a few pieces in a puzzle. 'I was on a cliff.' He mumbled. 'I don't like cliffs.'

Jack let out a small snort beside him. 'You have a way of stating the obvious, Carl's Junior.'

Mac watched his friend. He did feel better now that he could see Jack and they weren't just shouting at each other. But his nose wrinkled in disgust at the nickname. 'Stupid name.'

Jack seemed a bit giddy himself, the stress and the exhaustion of the night was bleeding off him. 'Well, we're going to talk about that buddy - and a whole lot more. Serious stuff too, you ain't going to like it. But I won't pester you until you can at least string more than two words together. Rest now while you can.'

Mac's eyes blinked slowly, not quite understanding, talk about what? But before he could ask he must have blinked one too many times, because he didn't remember much after that.

The second time Mac woke up he was in the base's medical center. Jack was sitting was sitting beside him pawing at a home and garden magazine. Mac watched him silently for a while. He wasn't sure what was odder. The big tough Delta operator reading a home and garden magazine or that he seemed to be wearing white mittens.

Mac laid there in his warm blanket cocoon, happy to observe his friend. Until his body rebelled on him. Apparently, he had an oxygen tube running to his nose, it was itchy and kind of annoying, and he sneezed… loudly.

A couple of things happened then and Mac found out why not moving was a really good idea. The sneeze had caused Mac to partially sit up and take a deep breath before exploding out of his mouth and nose. Pain seized his ribs, the pain in his head was startling and the room started to spin. On top of that, the worst case of pins and needles flickered up and down his legs. On top of that Jack jumped startled, letting out a yell, and dropped his magazine.

Jack recovered a lot faster than Mac did though, and was soon at his friend's side, easing him back on the bed. 'Slow breaths brother.'

Mac caught his breath slowly and the world started to stop his slow spin. 'Ouch.'

'Yeah, no kidding.' Jack agreed amicably. 'You got a broken rib, a concussion, and a partially perforated eardrum. Oh! And the doc said your legs are kind of messed up too, but no bullets at least. The sniper shooting at the ravine caused some rocks to fly up and nick you pretty good, so you got a few stitches. Your circulation was also compromised, so they are going to be kind of weak for a while, it's a long list but nothing too bad.'

'At least I don't have to stay then.' Mac replied hoarsely.

Jack lifted a Styrofoam cup to his friend's lips and Mac sipped from its bendy straw. 'Well Hoss, you certainly can try and leave but I think the Doc will get kind of pissed when you fall on your face and he has to fix your broken nose. Between the concussion, eardrum, and legs, I don't think you stand a chance, pun intended.'

Mac smiled a bit, as much as he didn't want to stay in the medical tent, the sneeze was enough to make the room spin like a top, and maybe Jack was right, not that he would say that out loud. At the moment he was content to stay where he was, it was just kind of nice to be alive right now. 'How long do I have to stay?'

'Doc, says just until you can stand up without falling over, probably a couple of days. No missions for a few weeks though.

Mac nodded slightly but when the room began to twist again he stopped instantly. He swallowed a few times as queasiness start to appear. 'Um, well this sucks.' He closed his eyes for a second steadying himself. 'So, what happened. I remember falling, and I was dragging you towards the cliff, and the mines, then not a whole lot.'

'The Calvary got there in just the nick time. A few Seals got off the helicopter, grabbed me by the ankles, stopping me from going into the minefield then they pulled you up. Frigging Seals! Man, I'll never hear the end of it!' Jack scowled.

'What about the mines, we didn't finish.'

'The boss has some infantry schmucks out there guarding it until Scooby and Neo are rested and can head out there again. '

Mac let out his breath slowly, he hated leaving any job half done. 'Are you going to go out with them again?'

Jack shrugged. 'Maybe, but I am not doing much until you and I have a little chat. And seeing you can't really run away right now it's a perfect time.'

Mac felt instantly on the defensive. 'Talk about what?'

Jack circled his bandaged hand in front of Mac's face, threatening to cause his head to spin again. 'That right there! The minute I even hint at a heart to heart you get defensive and shut down.'

'I don't…' Mac started but Jack cut him off.

'You do! You have walls taller than China!'

'China? You mean the Great Wall? It's not ….'

'No!' Jack's voice filled the small room causing Mac to flinch. Jack saw the movement and continued more calmly, but not backing down. 'I need you to listen to me, Mac. Really listen. You're not at University anymore, or back in Hollywood at your beach house. Its life and death out here. '

'I'm well aware.' Mac Deadpanned with a hint of annoyance. 'I don't work on firecracker's you know.'

Jack sighed, sitting down in his chair once he pulled it close to his friends' bed. 'I know, I know, and you've lost people. I'm saying this all wrong…' Jack paused for a moment. 'What I am trying to say is out here you can't be a one-man show; you and I are partners we have to look out for each other.'

MacGyver frowned. 'Do you think I am ungrateful? I'm not, Jack, I realized you saved my life today. I can't thank you enough. I really appreciate you keeping an eye out for me.'

'Do you?'

Mac looked at the Delta's face. 'Of course, I do.'

Jack tried to run his hands over his face, but the bandages oh his hand stopped him and he huffed in frustration. 'If someone gave you a sandwich would you be grateful?'

MacGyver was just not following Jack's point. 'Well, I am kind of queasy right now but I suppose.'

Jack just studied his friend for a moment and Mac felt squeamish under the scrutiny. 'Mac, I am going to need a lot more than your gratitude. When things get thick out here I am going to need to know we trust each other and not just on a cursory level. I mean really trust. I have tried, hell I have probably over shared, but I am just not getting anything from you back.'

Mac started to speak, but a look from Jack stopped him again.

'I am sure in your head you think you trust me. But I see evidence of you holding back every day. Under fire, I need to know everything about you man. How you think, how you act, what you're scared of, I need to know with my heart how you are going to react, good or bad. And this one will be the hardest for you… we need to trust each other without thinking. It has to be instinctual, and I think whatever made you the way you are has been rough and you don't know how to just have faith in someone anymore. This cliff thing, there was nothing wrong with being scared. Hell, I'm scared of loads of stuff. What bothers me is that I should have known you were scared of heights, but I didn't until it happened. Things have to change.' Jack put his hand on his friend's arm, making a connection.

Mac swallowed nervously.

Jack continued, 'You're the smartest person I know, and if you can just give me an inch, maybe with a little help, you could really trust me, and maybe we could just make it out of here alive.'

They sat in silence for a moment, Mac blinked away some tears that had started to well. 'I really thought my acrophobia was something I could handle, it's not that I was trying to keep it hidden. I really did think its just something that wouldn't be an issue.'

Jack smiled kindly. 'You shouldn't have to handle it on your own buddy, that's the point. We're a team, its something we handle together.'

They sat in silence for a moment, as Jack watched the wheels in MacGyvers head spin.

'It's not easy for me.' Mac admitted.

'I know, but we got to start somewhere.'

Mac took a moment to compose himself, thinking all about what Jack said before starting in a quiet voice. 'I like to look at the stars, I understand them, all the science. They are always there, reliable. There is this one star called Canopus, its silly but in my head, I call it The Jack Star.'

Jack's lip quirked up. 'Oh yeah?'

'Yeah, it's pretty bright and is always close to Sirius. When you are in the states you can't always see it but it's still there.' Mac met his friend's eyes, pleading that he understood. 'I trust the science Jack and I have faith that Canopus is always going to be there.'

Jack gave Mac, a big grin, clapping his hand on the younger man's shoulder. 'It's a good start, Mac… it's a good start.'

The end… but really the beginning…


End file.
